Two years ago one of the North East’s largest prisons was placed in the hands of a private company and after a shaky start it looks like the jail could be turning a corner.

Over the past two years chances are you will have read plenty about HMP Northumberland - from a drug stash smuggled into the jail inside mattresses bound for a prison workshop, to an officer found ‘drunk’ on duty on Christmas day.

But it seems the troubled days are in the past, the number of reported incidents at the jail has dropped dramatically in 2015 though drug and legal high use has kept the prison in the headlines.

Tony Simpson took up the post as director of the jail as a damning report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, described it as ‘failing miserably’ in January in what seemed to be a baptism of fire.

Mr Simpson’s appointment followed a year characterised by unease among staff after staffing levels were cut from 441 in 2010 to 270 in 2013.

HMP Northumberland at Acklington Northumberland

A new intake of staff did little to soothe the concerns and Sodexo’s second term in charge of the prison got off to a bumpy start last Christmas as one of the new recruits was dismissed amid claims he’d been found ‘drunk’ on duty on Christmas Day.

It’s fair to say 2015 has contained fewer embarrassments for Sodexo though it has been another tough year.

However, in February there was a flurry of incidents including a stand off with prisoners over ‘cold food’, teaching staff left terrified due to staffing levels, in March a search took place after intelligence an inmate had ammunition for a handgun at the jail and in April it emerged nets had been installed to stop drugs and contraband being thrown over the prison fence.

But 11 months into the job Mr Simpson has started to tackle issues including staff morale and a lack of work for prisoners.

But taking the reigns at the jail wasn’t easy, the early troubles had attracted scrutiny from trade unions, MPs and the public.

“I felt some of the criticism was unfair and did not reflect what was going on,” Mr Simpson said.

“The team has benefitted from being out of the spotlight.

“I wouldn’t want to overplay my own part in the progress.

HMP Northumberland (Image: Simon Greener)

“Matt and the team had done great work through a hard transition year and I’ve been able to come along and build on that work.”

Prisons minister Andrew Selous is set to visit the Acklington site following increasing concerns over the use of drugs and legal highs which were raised by Berwick MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan in the House of Commons.

Earlier in the year the HMIP report revealed 33% of inmates said getting hold of illegal drugs was ‘very easy’, another 13% said it was ‘easy’ while home brewed ‘hooch’ was also identified as being readily available though inspectors went on to praise work with inmates battling substance abuse problems.

Mr Simpson said the visit is still to be confirmed and claimed he was confident the minister would have arranged a visit without being prompted.

He added: “We welcome Mr Selous and will be proud to show him around.

“He’s a good minister.

“Knowing Mr Selous I think he would make it his business to come around if it had not been for that [the debate].”

One of the early criticisms levelled at the jail was a lack of work.

HMP Northumberland at Acklington in Northumberland

But the jail is now focussing on securing more work contacts with 80 new jobs for inmates through a link up with Ocado where inmates will turn old uniforms into shopping bags and aprons which will then be sold by the firm for charity.

Fresh contracts are in the pipeline and the jail’s market garden has secured Northumberland’s status as the only prison in the country to be given the Red Tractor status which acknowledges agricultural standards.

Mr Simpson said: “As a working prison our objective is to provide meaningful activity for prisoners to give them the best chance of finding employment upon release. Learning new skills and developing a strong work ethic are known to have a positive impact on reducing reoffending when offenders return into the community.”

Suzanne Westlake, Ocado’s head of corporate responsibility, added: “As a responsible retailer, we wanted to find a better solution to the problem of our unwanted uniforms in order to avoid them ending up in landfill.

“This innovative project has turned them into fantastic designer products and we hope our customers will show their support by buying them and helping generate funds for the Ocado Foundation.”